Celebrating Flag Day and the 60th Anniversary of “Under God”

On June 14, 2014, in observation of Flag Day, the Knights of Columbus Assumption Council 3397 held a special ceremony outside of the Church of St. Bridget Parish Center in Glassboro, N.J. to rededicate the flag pole and raise a new flag.

In attendance were members of Assumption Council 3397, Saint Bridget Pastor Father Matthew Weber along with many parishioners, Eagle Scout Thomas Seddon of Glassboro, and members of the Knights of Columbus Color Corps from Archbishop C.J. Damiano, Bishop James Schad, and Bishop Eustace Assemblies.

Grand Knight Ray Iacovone assists in the raising of the flag.

Flag Day holds a special honor to the Knights of Columbus who, in addition to their many civic and social projects, work to cultivate pride in United States patriotism. In that vein, the Knights of Columbus helped lead the charge to add “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, which occurred 60 years ago on Flag Day, June 14, 1954.

In his message of thanks to Supreme Knight Luke Hart, President Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote, “They [the words “under God”] will help us keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded.”

Eagle Scout Thomas Seddon and members of the Knights of Columbus Color Corps from Archbishop C.J. Damiano, Bishop James Schad, and Bishop Eustace Assemblies

From the discovery to the renewal of our nation, civic leaders have often remarked that freedoms come through the Grace of God – that civic duties and religious values are inextricably linked.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, namesake of the Knights, performed his civic and religious duties, as he would have understood them, when he left Spain for the New World. Our Founding Fathers expressed the Rights of Man as no less than a gift granted by our Creator when they established the United States of America in 1776. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg was just as explicit. In his desire to heal a country divided by war, Lincoln spoke the words “this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom.

The Knights of Columbus are proud to continue to uphold and promote both American and religious values in these complex times for our nation.

Assumption Council #3397, chartered on January 7, 1951, embodies the Knights of Columbus principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.

Meetings are scheduled on the first and third Thursday of the month in the parish hall below St. Bridget's Church in Glassboro, N.J. All Knights in good standing are welcome.

Join the Knights

If you are interested in helping those in need, serving your parish, and growing your faith, then the Knights of Columbus is the organization for you. We are a band of brothers, a network of men in communities around the world dedicated to doing good in the service of God and our neighbors. Becoming a Knight of Columbus can transform your life. Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 17 years of age or older who are practical Catholics.